macOS Recovery explained: how to start it and what each tool does

30 October 2026 · 5 min read

macOS Recovery, often called recovery mode, is a separate system on your Mac that runs without your normal macOS, so you can repair the disk, restore from a Time Machine backup, reinstall macOS or erase the Mac. On an Apple silicon Mac, shut down, then press and hold the power button until startup options appear, and click Options. On an Intel Mac, restart and hold Command-R.

Start Recovery on an Apple silicon Mac

These steps match Apple’s current guide. The wording on screen can differ a little between macOS versions.

Choose Apple menu, then Shut Down, and wait until the Mac is completely off.
Press and hold the power button until you see “Loading startup options” or the Options button, then let go.
Click Options, then click Continue.
If asked, choose the volume you want to recover, then click Next.
Choose an administrator account, click Next, enter that account’s password and click Continue.

Recovery then opens, with a menu bar across the top. If the Mac starts up normally instead, the power button was released too soon: shut down and try again, holding it until the startup options appear.

Start Recovery on an Intel Mac

Intel Macs are the ones that stop at macOS 26, and they use key combinations instead. Choose Apple menu, then Restart, and immediately press and hold one of these until you see the startup screen (an Apple logo or a spinning globe).

Command-R starts the built-in recovery system. It reinstalls the latest macOS that was installed on the Mac, or opens the other tools.
Option-Command-R starts Recovery over the internet and upgrades to the latest macOS the Mac supports.
Option-Shift-Command-R starts Recovery over the internet and reinstalls the macOS the Mac came with, or the closest version still available.

The second and third load Recovery over the internet, so they need a working network connection. If asked, choose a Wi-Fi network or plug in a network cable. And if the built-in Recovery on an Intel Mac fails to start, Apple says the Mac should switch to Recovery over the internet by itself, which shows as a spinning globe.

What each tool does

The Recovery window lists a few things, and the menu bar adds more. Apple’s guides name the tools slightly differently across versions, so the labels below are the ones you’ll likely see, with the job of each.

Restore from Time Machine. Restores the Mac from a Time Machine backup. Pick this when you have a Time Machine backup you want to bring back. Restoring a Mac from a backup covers what to expect.

Reinstall macOS. Reinstalls the system. Apple states that macOS Recovery keeps your files and user settings intact when reinstalling, and that the Mac must be connected to the internet to do it. When asked to choose a volume, choose your current macOS volume, which is usually the only one.

Safari or Web Browser. Opens a browser so you can read Apple Support pages while the Mac is in Recovery. It needs a connection. Use the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar if you aren’t online.

Disk Utility. Runs First Aid on a disk to check and repair it, or erases a volume. On a startup disk that won’t behave, First Aid is the usual first move. If it fails, the First Aid failure guide covers the next step.

Utilities menu. Choose Utilities in the menu bar for:

Terminal, a command line for advanced fixes.
Startup Security Utility, which sets the Mac’s security policy on Apple silicon. On an Intel Mac it sets a firmware password and, on Macs with the Apple T2 Security Chip, secure boot options.
Share Disk, on Apple silicon Macs, which shares a disk so another Mac can copy files from it.

Startup Disk. Under the Apple menu, it chooses which volume the Mac starts from.

Reinstall is not erase

People often assume reinstalling wipes the Mac. It doesn’t. Reinstalling macOS replaces the system and leaves your files and settings. Erasing is a separate step, done in Disk Utility, and it removes data. The only reason to combine them is a clean slate, which a clean install explains in full.

If you’re selling or handing on the Mac, Apple’s advice is Erase Assistant, which resets the Mac to factory settings from inside macOS on Macs that have it. Erasing a Mac properly walks through it, including older Macs where Recovery is the route.

When to use Recovery

The Mac won’t start normally. Run First Aid on the startup disk, then reinstall macOS if that doesn’t help.
A macOS update failed. Reinstalling is the standard repair, and your files stay.
You’re restoring from a backup onto a replaced drive or a new setup.
You’re resetting a Mac after you’ve backed up. Erase the disk first, then reinstall.
You need to change a startup security setting in Startup Security Utility.

Before you erase anything, back up.

If Recovery won’t open

Check these:

Wrong method. Intel and Apple silicon start Recovery differently, so use the steps for your Mac.
A Bluetooth keyboard that won’t respond. Apple’s Apple silicon guide gives a pairing shortcut for Recovery: press the power button three times, each press within 1 second of the last.
No network. Internet-based Recovery and any reinstall need a connection. Choose a Wi-Fi network from the menu bar.

Questions

How do I boot into recovery mode on a Mac? On Apple silicon, shut down, then hold the power button until the startup options appear and click Options. On an Intel Mac, restart and hold Command-R until the startup screen appears.

Does reinstalling macOS from Recovery delete my files? No. Apple says macOS Recovery keeps your files and user settings intact when reinstalling. Erasing the disk is a separate action, and that is what removes data.

What is Internet Recovery? It’s Recovery loaded over the network instead of from the Mac’s own disk, used on Intel Macs with Option-Command-R or Option-Shift-Command-R. The first installs the latest macOS compatible with the Mac, and the second installs the version that came with the Mac, or the closest one still available.

Do I need a password to use Recovery? On an Apple silicon Mac, yes: you pick an administrator account and enter its password before Recovery opens. You’ll also need to know your Wi-Fi password if the Mac has to download anything.